Whatever you say or think about promoter Eddie Hearn, you cannot say he doesn’t back his man. Of course, you could argue (and no doubt will) that a promoter should ALWAYS back his man. Well, in terms of two big fights coming up fast – Canelo Alvarez Vs. Edgar Berlanga on Saturday, and Anthony Joshua Vs. Daniel Dubois next Saturday – Hearn has made two pre-fight predictions that may or may not surprise you.
Firstly, Hearn is backing underdog Berlanga (currently listed as an 11/1 dog in most places, some places having the unbeaten 27 year old as an even heftier outsider), and Hearn is not picking Berlanga to win via the proverbial puncher’s chance. Instead, Hearn says he is picking Berlanga to shock the Mexican superstar with a points victory.
“I really feel that if Edgar starts well and gets a foothold in the fight…….it’s so difficult when it comes to giving you a solid prediction: ‘Edgar’s gonna do this!’ But I like his chances in the fight because I like his mentality,” Hearn said when speaking with IFL TV. “But Canelo’s very difficult to beat. I’m gonna go out there, and I’m gonna say Edgar Berlanga wins on points.”
It would be a real shock if Berlanga won tomorrow, but perhaps even more so if he won via decision. Ask most experts, and they tell you Berlanga’s only shot is to land a big shot, get lucky, and stop Canelo. But Hearn says otherwise. What are the odds for a Berlanga points win?
As for the heavyweight affair next week, perhaps not so many people will be surprised by Hearn’s pick. Hearn, who, of course, has a long friendship with Anthony Joshua and has promoted him for years, says his man will get Daniel Dubois out of there “in three rounds.”
“I think a lot of it depends on how Dubois approaches the fight. If he comes out hot like he did against [Filip] Hrgovic, you know, he makes a lot of mistakes, and if he does that…..But they [his team] might feel that’s his best chance,” Hearn said in again speaking with IFL. “If he comes out hot, I think AJ wins in three rounds.”
Most people you talk to think the September 21 fight at Wembley will absolutely end in a knockout, and perhaps a quick one. Is Hearn right here, or are you going for young gun Dubois, who “rival” promoter Frank Warren says will be the man scoring the KO or stoppage?
For what it’s worth, here are my two picks for these fights:
Canelo to halt a game Berlanga late, say rounds 10 or 11.
Joshua by KO over Dubois in round two, his massive right hand doing the job.
